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We were told that the installation of a $3.35million detention tank would solve the problems of fooding of Manly Oval and the Raglan Street/Belgrave Street corner.

From this .......

to this .......

Instead, four months after the installation work was completed, the oval has become a total, unusable mess. A local annual school sports carnival had to be cancelled due to the state of the grounds.Why is it so bad?

The stated design was for 1,000 cubic metres, and yet the report prepared for Council by Cardino said 4,400 cubic metres was needed for the task. Further work was proposed as part of the building of the Oval Car Park even though the car park plan had not been approved by Council at the time the work started. It is still possible that the car park will not go ahead depending upon the outcome of independent reports commissioned by the Administrator of the Northern Beaches Council which will be released on 23 August.

Apparently the detention tank isn't even connected! ​The job was rushed through in February to April with a commitment to have it finished in time for the first Rugby game of the season. That timeframe was met, but at what cost? And what further work, if any, is needed? These questions have now been asked and answers promised shortly.

In the meantime groundsmen have been fighting a losing battle attempting to bring the surface up to standard although the Council has indicated that this will be fixed in time for upcoming cricket matches.

Further i could observe how the heavy soild was filled back in and compressed by the machines, without adding and mixing sand or similar. This leaves surface water not drain and makes things worse.

Reply

Rebecca

10/8/2016 12:40:30 pm

I don't know why anyone would be surprised. Isn't this the norm for Manly Council? Spend thousands of our tax payer $ on a botch job and then have to re- do the work at more cost. Time and time again this seems to happen - roads, pavements, changes in traffic islands - installed then removed. Who are the faces behind these decisions (do any of them actually live in Manly?) and why does it continue to happen?
Is no one at the council answerable to anyone ?????????

Reply

Jane

10/8/2016 12:54:47 pm

Well said, totally agree. Wonder if it will improve with merger?!

Reply

Ray O'Grady

10/8/2016 12:48:35 pm

I am not an engineer but in watching this work being undertaken, I had concerns that the finished job would create surface drainage problems so am not surprised at the quagmire which now exists. One can only imagine how the playing surface will end up after sitting on top of an underground car park. The entire project must be canned, preferably permanently or at least until all engineering and drainage aspects have been resolved. Does anyone know of another example where a playing field has successfully been built on top of a large underground structure?

Reply

Jim Mitchell

10/8/2016 01:16:08 pm

Hi Ray
Try BG Sports fields near art gallery Sydney circa 1960. A schools sports carnival held on the oval about a week ago before recent down pour
Jim

Reply

Kerrie Sweet

10/8/2016 02:31:31 pm

So sad to see this once beautiful oval turned into a bog but with Jean and Henry in control we could expect nothing less. Another disaster like Kenneth Road created by their incompetence. They should hang their heads in shame. Let's not let the Carpark go ahead!!

Reply

Bruce Webb

10/8/2016 03:11:23 pm

Well this outcome is not surprising with HW in charge. It is obvious they could not successfully run a piss-up in a brewery. I seem to remember similar issues when the Corso was made a pedestrian mall, then we have the issue with the Lifeguards box at the end of the Corso (that stuff-up was not made public) and HW was in charge of all of these. He will deny it but as the GM of the old council the buck stops there.

It is such a shame that idiots like this actually have the audacity to say they are doing everything for the good of the residents....as if.

Wonderful news that Wong has resigned. The dreadful damage done by the Hay/Wong led voting bloc is massive. Hopefully due diligence and proper scrutiny of the proposed car park and demolition plans will result in the too costly and inappropriate plans being scrapped.

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